The present invention relates to a novel and improved bracket for holding a microscope. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bracket for supporting a portable, surgical microscope, especially an expensive, heavy eye-operating microscope, the bracket rendering the microscope more portable and adapting to various sizes of microscopes.
While performing missionary eye surgery in third world countries, severe difficulties have been experienced using conventional microscopes due to their weight and size, and the lack of modern laboratory and surgical facilities. In particular, while performing eye surgery, it is often necessary to use a microscope, preferably a high quality one. However, when surgery is not performed in a hospital or an equipped operating room, for example when it is performed in the field in third world countries under missionary conditions, it is almost impossible to use conventional, heavy and expensive surgical microscopes since they are not readily portable and cannot be adequately supported on light-weight table clamp stands or light-weight floor stands.
Further, one major disadvantage of using present day microscopes outside of hospital facilities is that there is no lightweight, portable bracket which is capable of supporting heavy surgical microscopes without the need for a support mounted on a ceiling, a wall or a heavy table or floor stand. Another disadvantage of present day microscopes is that there is no lightweight portable microscope holder which is capable of easily adapting to support various sizes of surgical microscopes.
Thus, there is a need for a bracket which converts any size of the heavy, expensive eye-operating microscopes to a more portable microscope, so they can be used in less conventional operating facilities.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable, lightweight, and relatively inexpensive bracket for converting heavy surgical microscopes to light-weight portable microscopes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and nonobvious microscope bracket which is easy to manufacture and easy to assemble.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a mircroscope bracket which is easily adaptable to many sizes of microscopes.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a bracket for a surgical microscope which does not require attachment to a ceiling, wall or heavy floor stand.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a bracket for supporting expensive, heavy surgical microscopes so that they are usable outside of standard hospital or operating room facilities.
To achieve these and other objects, the present invention relates to a bracket for holding a microscope having a vertical neck support tube. The bracket includes an inverted L-shaped support member having a vertical arm and a horizontal arm, one end of said vertical arm having means for securing the support member to a foundation such as a light-weight boom arm or stand. A vertical support cylinder is attached to the horizontal arm, said support cylinder having a minimum diameter sufficient to receive the vertical support tube of a microscope. Fastening means are provided for securing the vertical support tube of the microscope in the support cylinder, the fastening means selectively adjustably changing the diameter of said support cylinder to fix said support tube in said support cylinder .